This invention relates to improvements to the functional design of electronic keys and electrical receptacles for receiving same. The invention is an improvement in the inventions of U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,569, issued Oct. 27, 1981, entitled "Microelectronic Memory Key With Receptacle and Systems Therefor," U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,125, issued Apr. 20, 1982, entitled "Improved Microelectronic Memory Key with Receptacle and Systems Therefor," U.S. Pat. No. 4,379,966, issued Apr. 12, 1983, entitled "Receptacle for Electronic Information Key;" U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,993, issued Mar. 13, 1984, entitled "Improved Electronic Key," and pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 343,112, filed Jan. 27, 1982, entitled "Lock Mechanism for Electronic Information Key" (now abandoned). The disclosures of these patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference.
The electronic systems disclosed in these patents include a master circuit or electrical operating system of some kind, such as a computer system, which is activated by use of an electronic key inserted into a suitable receptacle to make electrical contact or connection with the master system. This invention is concerned broadly with such electronic keys and electrical receptacles therefor.